His offseason re-signing with the Bucks puts the team in position to once again compete for the NFC South title and make the playoffs. Tampa Bay’s annual goal is to win the Super Bowl, so while a fourth straight division title and the automatic home playoff game that comes with it is a goal, the important question is how does Tampa Bay compare to the rest of the region? . league.
It’s one thing to make it to the postseason. Making the playoffs is another story.
for a quick refresher this offseason, Tampa Bay re-signed Pro Bowl quarterback Baker Mayfield, Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans, inside linebacker Lavonte David, kicker Chase McLaughlin, and All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. has been given the franchise tag. They also signed other important new contracts. Well, the biggest thing is that Jordan Whitehead is back at safety.
The Bucks also signed Interior offensive linemen Ben Bredeson and Sua Opeta to give them new competition at center and left guard, respectively, and added cornerbacks Bryce Hall and Tavierre Thomas, along with Jamel – Strengthened the depth behind Dean, Zion McCollum and nickel cornerback Christian Isien. .
Bucks rankings are surprising
The main focus is on re-signing Tampa Bay players with a team that advanced to the divisional round of the postseason last year, but was that enough to make the Bucs a contender? Jarrett Bailey’s post-free agency power rankings: touchdown wire, Bailey ranked Tampa Bay 21st overall out of 32 teams. This is the worst ranking of any team that made the playoffs the previous year.
The Bucks’ outlook for 2024 is as follows:
Bucks QB Baker Mayfield Photo Credit: USA Today
“All the best to Baker Mayfield for getting paid after the best year of his career and second career playoff win.” But it’s questionable whether the Bucs can repeat that success, especially without Dave Canales. At least they’ll be competitive week in and week out. At best, they’ll be a playoff team again. ”
Indeed, it’s fair to wonder if Mayfield can maintain his level of play next season. I’ve seen other quarterbacks have great seasons in their “prove it” years trying to get new contracts that don’t perform well after signing. Take Daniel Jones of the Giants, Jalen Hurts of the Eagles, and Geno Smith of the Seahawks.
In 2022, Jones threw for over 3,000 yards with 15 touchdowns as the Giants went 9-7-1 and earned a wild-card spot, defeating the Vikings in the first round. Jones signed a four-year, $160 million contract that offseason. But the next year, he went 1-5 as a starter and threw six interceptions, one more than he had all season. Jones also tore his ACL and was out for the season after six games.
Hurts and Smith are less tragic stories than Jones. However, after the 2022 Super Bowl appearance, Hurts received a five-year, $255 million contract from Philadelphia. His first year on this deal got off to a great start with Philadelphia posting a 10-1 record, but Hurts began playing through injuries and the Eagles finished the regular season with a 1-6 record. After that, the Bucks lost 32 wins and 9 losses. in the wild card playoffs.
Mayfield and Smith have been compared many times as each had to revive their careers in new locations and both worked in Canales. Smith, who bounced back with more than 4,000 yards, 30 touchdowns and a 9-8 record and a postseason berth, was signed by the Seahawks to a three-year, $75 million contract. It wasn’t a dramatic drop, but the numbers were a little lower last season as Seattle finished 8-9 and missed the postseason, throwing 3,624 games and scoring 20 touchdowns.
Bucks WR Mike Evans – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
Where I disagree with Bailey’s statement about the Bucs is his reference to how big an impact losing Canales would be for Tampa Bay. While there will certainly be some adjustments to be made with Liam Cohen as the team’s new offensive coordinator, his system isn’t all that different from the one Canales ran. Plus, he’s already worked with Mayfield in Los Angeles.
Cohen is also a more sophisticated play-caller, having played in that role at Kentucky and briefly with the Rams.
Another thing that cannot be overlooked is that this will be the second year for pitchers from Mayfield to Mike Evans. His 1,255 receiving yards were the most for Evans since 2018, and his 13 touchdowns were tied for the league lead and second-most in his career. One can only imagine what Mayfield and Evans can do in their second season after building such continuity.
Are the Falcons a runaway favorite?
Tampa Bay was ranked 21st in the Touchdown Wire rankings, but second-best among all teams in the NFC South. 1st place was 7th place in Atlanta. Bailey Jarrett commented on the Falcons:
Bucs OLB Anthony Nelson and Vikings QB Kirk Cousins – Photo courtesy of Tampa Bay Buccaneers
“The Falcons looked at the roster they had and brought in a quarterback to bring everyone together. Add Kirk Cousins to an offense that already had the skill group of Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bejan Robinson. , add a defense that ranks fifth in success rate, and Atlanta has a team that can compete for the Super Bowl.”
The Falcons’ signing of Cousins was arguably the biggest move by any team this offseason. In theory, it’s easy to see why the Falcons could make him a favorite to win the NFC South. That being said, it feels strange that the Bucks are once again considered the underdogs in their division, given their recent history of winning the NFC South three years in a row.
Most people doubted the Bucks last year, but they came out on top. All the pressure will be on Cousins and the Falcons this year, but Cousins isn’t a player who can excel in high-profile situations.
The 35-year-old quarterback has been terrible in prime-time games, starting four games and recording just one win in the playoffs. Now all of a sudden he’s going to buck that trend? How much better is this Atlanta team than some of the teams he was a part of in Minnesota?
There is no doubt that the Falcons have improved. They really needed a quarterback.
Since Mayfield arrived in Tampa, the Bucks have been at their best when counted out. Tampa Bay might have everyone where the team wants them. Because it looks like the skeptics are starting to come out in full force again.
